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No. 537,079. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.'

5ML/vanto@ l ALJ.- M Y m10., WASHINGTON. u. c.

NITE STATES PATENT EFICEel WILLIAM T. sMITH, Vor BALTIMORE, MARYLAND,AssIeNoR VTo THE WILLIAM HNARE a oo. MANUFACTURING COMPANY, oF sAMEPLACE.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,079, dated April 9,1895.

Appnaaon nearebmry 9,1895. serial No. 537,797. m man Be it known that I,WILLIAM'T. SMITH, of

Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have in-V vented certain new anduseful Improvements in Roller-Casters; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to4 be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. ro My invention relates to an improvementinroller casters, and it consists in certain novel features ofconstruction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed and pointed out in the claims. I5 In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 Y represents a view of my improvement;`and

Fig. 2 is a view in section of the same.

A represents the horn,which is preferably of' the form in common use,and to which the roller B is attached in the usual manner.

Bf is a spindle projecting upwardly from thehorn and provided nearitsupper end with an annular groove b, in which rests the free end of pinc, while the opposite end thereof is secured in the side wall of socketC. Thus it will be seen that spindle B is movably secured within socketC through the medium of pin c. Socket O is provided with an extendedoutwardly projecting flange d having countersunk holes therein for thereception of screws, by means of which the caster is secured in itsoperative position. Interposed between the upper face of horn A and thelower surface of flange d, is spring D, which latter is preferably ofthe form shown in the drawings. The coiled portion e which encirclesspindle B rests on the horn A, while the outwardly and upwardlyextending arms f, f, bear against the under face of flange d. The springis coiled twice around the spindle and as each end bears against theunder side of the iian ge, each operates, practically, as an independentspring. When the roller is applied to an article, the springs yield orgive at their outer ends while the coiled sections thereof are forcedupwardly, each bend of the spring as at g acting as a fulcrum on V whichthe spring rests. If the weight on the caster be sufficient, the uppercoil will be forced into contact with the Hangs cl, while 5o the lowercoil will assist in supporting the l upper one. Thus it. will benseenthat when the weightis sufficient to'overoome the spring armsf, f, thecoils which operate as additional elastic supports are brought intoaction, and assist in sustaining the object carried by the casters. Thesprings being fulcrumed at the bends g can yield on both sides of thebend and thus yieldiugly sustain any object carried thereon. Y

In supporting heavy articles with casters constructed as abovedescribed, it will be seen that when the springs are fully compressedthe weight is supported to a large extent by the spindles and when it isdesired to change the course of the rollers, considerable power isrequired to revolve the spindles in the sockets, as the former have atendency to bind in the latter, and hence in order to overcome thisdifficulty and to render the opera- 7o tion of the spindles active, Ihave located on the upper ends of said spindles ball bearings h, whichlatter also bear against the inner top surface of the sockets,tlierebyre` moving friction and rendering the spindles more easy ofoperation.

It is evident that changes in the construction and relative arrangementof the several part-s might be made without avoiding my invention andhence I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to theparticular construction and a1 rangement of parts shown and described,but, l

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an article of manufacture, a caster consisting of a socket, a hornhaving a roller therein, said horn havinga shank inserted in the socket,one of said parts provided with a wide annular groove and the other withmeans projecting into the groove to prevent the parts from beingseparated but to permit a limited vertical play relative to each other,rollers confined betweenthe shank and inner end of the socket and aspring interposed between the horn and socket, substantially as setforth.

2. As an article of manufact-nre, a caster In testimony whereof I havesigned this comprisnga. socket, ahorn the shank of which specificationin the presence of two subscribis fitted to and adapted to turn in thesocket, ing witnesses.

and a spring` consisting,lr of a piece of spring WM. T, SMIT] I. wirebent around the shank of thehorn and Witnesses: its ends bent outward tobezu on the socket, CHAS. L. HUTCHNS,

substantially as set forth. C. I. DUNN.

